Mike Qaissaunee, a Professor of Engineering and Technology at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey, shares his experiences and perspectives on integrating new technologies in and approaches to teaching and learning. ~ Subscribe to this Blog

NPD's US retail sales data shows just how successful is the strategy. The top-three selling smartphones during October and November: iPhone 4S, 4 and 3GS. Samsung Galaxy S 4G and S2 rank fourth and fifth.

Say that again slowly – the top three selling phones are iPhones.

Weirdly, he points to the strategy of making the iPhone 4 and 4S indistinguishable from one another as key to this surge in sales. I'm not sure I get the logic. So iPhone 4 buyers think they're buying a 4S with Siri, but for only $99? I think the iPhone 4 is selling really well, because buyers see a bargain – a really great phone for only $99.

I see now that iPhone 5 would have distracted buyers rather than open up the big sales spigot. Cook has made a big play to gain platform market share fast.